St. Anne's Museum Quarter – where church and art converge

In St. Anne's Museum Quarter in Lübeck, church and art come together in the most extraordinary way. The St. Anne's Kunsthalle art gallery, built on the foundations of the former abbey church, and St. Anne's Museum in Lübeck have joined forces to become the new site for religion, art and society.

An abbey once stood at the site where visitors can now learn about the history of Lübeck, from the Middle Ages to the present day. It was built in 1515 by the wealthy citizens of Lübeck to house their unmarried daughters. The Reformation soon scuppered this plan, and the abbey became a poorhouse and orphanage. This life of faith became an everlasting memory 400 years later, when the former abbey became a museum, showcasing the impressive symbiosis of late Gothic monastic architecture and sacred art, of buildings and ecclesiastical art from the 13th to the first half of the 16th century.

With its 28 mighty altars, panels and several wooden and limestone sculptures, St. Anne's is one of Germany's most prominent museums with a local focus. The medieval carved altars form the core part of the collection. After a fire in 1843, all that remains are a few octagonal pillars, arches and arch alcoves as well as remnants of the brick walls. Unique stylistic elements in the modern Kunsthalle art gallery, which now form a whole along with the museum in the St. Aegidien district in Lübeck, are historic relics dating back to this period. It is no longer a sacred space, but it is perfect for contemplation and reflection.

St. Anne's Museum Quarter

Opening hours: 1 January to 31 March: Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm; 1 April to 31 December: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm